Building an indigenous learning community through lesson study: challenges of secondary school science teachers

Universalists believe that indigenous knowledge should not be studied since it excludes non-indigenous people. A qualitative method was used to explore the impact of lesson study on a science teacher at a secondary school. The research indicated that lesson study has positive impacts on teachers professionally by improving their science content knowledge, developing their teaching strategy and skill, enhancing their interest in working collaboratively, and creating a sense of an indigenous paradigm. The four categories of impact are interrelated and mutually influential. Through a lesson study, a relationship of mutual trust is well established in an indigenous learning community.     

Reorienting teaching standards: learning from lesson study

Teaching standards are regularly described as a mechanism for improving the status of the teaching profession and as a means to develop high-quality teachers. Less attention has been paid to the difficulties of fostering professional learning when externally produced standards are imposed on teachers. This paper outlines how lesson study can inform the use of teaching standards to shift the focus to centre on learning rather than teaching to richly inform national and international views on the use of teaching standards. More specifically, it explores how lesson study was a powerful process that developed a lived understanding of teaching standards and fostered two significant discursive shifts in teacher understanding of standards: from individual to collegial activity; and secondly from statements of teaching to centring the focus on processes of learning.     

Initiating education reform through lesson study at a university in Indonesia

This paper analyses the issues involved in promoting lesson study in an Indonesian university, based on a case study of the Faculty of Mathematics and Science (FMIPA) of the State University of Yogyakarta. Five points are discussed. First, conducting lesson study with schools revealed that the faculty managers noticed the ignorance about lesson study in FMIPA and decided to conduct lesson study by themselves to learn more. Second, despite using a didactic teaching approach initially, more faculty members began using group work in their lessons. Third, despite the emphasis on the importance of observing students' learning realities, most faculty members focused on teaching methodology. Fourth, in terms of reflection, they could be classified as evaluation‐minded in order to be critical about the observed lessons, and learning‐minded to appreciate the observed lessons. Fifth, the strong involvement of managers is necessary to develop lesson study as a daily teaching and learning practice.     

Reducing disruptive behaviours and improving learning climates with class-wide positive behaviour support in middle schools

Disruptive behaviours in classrooms pose a significant challenge for learning in schools and are, at the same time, a risk factor for students’ academic achievement and a major source for work-related stress among teachers. Earlier research suggests that clarifying the classroom rules and behavioural expectations, monitoring students’ adherence to them and using behaviour-specific praise are simple and effective practices to reduce disruptive behaviour. Most of the interventions have been developed for elementary schools, although behaviour problems tend to be more common in middle schools. This two-month pilot study using a pre–post design evaluated the effects of a class-wide intervention on learning climate and disruptive behaviour (evaluated by students and teachers); on teacher-experienced stress; and on the time needed to maintain the positive learning climate in middle school. The classes were nominated for the intervention by their teachers on the basis of poor learning climates. The intervention was based on clear behavioural expectations for the students, positive behaviour support and, if needed, rapid actions in response to high rates of disruptive behaviour. The intervention was carried out by teachers, supported by monthly counselling meetings. The results indicated a large reduction in disruptive behaviour, in the time needed to maintain positive learning climate and in strain experienced by teachers while teaching the classes. The intervention was highly accepted by teachers, principals and (although to lesser degree) students. Although the lack of a control group in the design limits conclusions regarding the amount of change attributable to the intervention, the results suggest that an easily applicable and trainable intervention, which requires very little external support, may produce significant improvements in learning climates in middle schools.     

Lesson study: A collaborative approach to scholarship for teaching and learning in higher education

The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning has become an important field of inquiry, focusing on the development of new and critical pedagogic approaches in higher education. It is a broad field leading to the emergence of a number of contrasting perspectives concerning the development of insights into teaching and learning. In this article, we explore the potential for Lesson Study to act as a framework for reflecting on and developing pedagogic practice in the university sector. Originating in Japan over a century ago, Lesson Study is a collaborative tool for analysing and developing understanding of student learning. This makes it an ideal tool for capturing and interrogating new and critical insights into teaching and learning. An outline framework is suggested for developing the use of Lesson Study in higher education and we discuss how it can form a positive methodology for extending the work of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.     

The symbiotic roles of action research,lesson study and learning study seen in a social–emotional intervention for males with behavioural needs

ABSTRACT

To help a group of nine adolescent boys with behavioural needs improve their social-emotional skills, the researcher designed and conducted a longitudinal intervention at a public secondary school in British Columbia. In order to complete this task, the researcher drew on the various strengths of action research, lesson study and learning study. Together their distinct attributes acted as an organizational framework and were seen to provide an effective and robust approach to school-based research. The action research component of the study ensured that the intervention had a deep understanding of the problems facing male students with behavioural needs, that stakeholders’ voices were considered in the research and that the personal role of the researcher was acknowledged. Learning study established positive masculinity as the intervention’s primary object of learning; and it helped influence the content and approach of individual sessions. Finally, lesson study’s fluid and collaborative approach to assessment allowed for ongoing guidance and a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the study’s results. Although there are similarities between action research, learning and lesson studies, the research discussed in this article demonstrates the efficacy and benefit in allowing their distinctive strengths to be used in conjunction for a longitudinal intervention.     

More than experiential learning or volunteering: a case study of community service learning within the Australian context

Community service learning is the integration of experiential learning and community service into coursework such that community needs are met and students gain both professional skills and a sense of civic responsibility. A critical component is student reflection. This paper provides an example of the application of community service learning within an undergraduate health unit at the Queensland University of Technology. Based on survey data from 36 program participants, it demonstrates the impact of CSL on student outcomes. Results show that students benefited by developing autonomy through real world experiences, through increased self‐assurance and achievement of personal growth, through gaining new insights into the operations of community service organisations and through moving towards becoming responsible citizens. Students expect their CSL experience to have long‐lasting impact on their lives, with two‐thirds of participants noting that they would like to continue volunteering as part of their future development.     

基础教育课程改革与学校重建——基于"学习共同体"的理念

"学校在风雨飘摇之中",风雨飘摇之中的学校呼唤重建.因此,创建学习共同体或合作型学习组织已成为国际教育学界的共同愿景,同时也为当前我国基础教育课程改革中的学校组织重建提供了重要启示.基础教育课程改革提倡合作学习,这种学习方式的转变为创建合作型学习组织提供了基础.基于国内外有关合作型学校的研究成果,提出如下建议:建立对话型学校文化;要做"领导者",不做"管理者";创建共同愿景.     

Improving mathematics instruction through lesson study: a theoretical model and North American case

This article presents a theoretical model of lesson study, an approach to instructional improvement that originated in Japan. The theoretical model includes four lesson study features (investigation, planning, research lesson, and reflection) and three pathways through which lesson study improves instruction: changes in teachers’ knowledge and beliefs; changes in professional community; and changes in teaching–learning resources. The model thus suggests that development of teachers’ knowledge and professional community (not just improved lesson plans) are instructional improvement mechanisms within lesson study. The theoretical model is used to examine the “auditable trail” of data from a North American lesson study case, yielding evidence that the lesson study work affected each of the three pathways. We argue that the case provides an “existence proof” of the potential effectiveness of lesson study outside Japan. Limitations of the case are discussed, including (1) the nature of data available from the “auditable trail” and (2) generalizability to other lesson study efforts.

Beyond labels: what are the salient features of lesson study and learning study?

ABSTRACT

Lesson Study and Learning Study are popular teacher professional development models across the world. Drawing on an extensive review of research and literature, this paper aims to identify the features of the two models to contrast and establish their similarities and differences particularly with regard to their application in practice. The paper focuses on their impact on teaching and learning as well as the rationale behind the process of Lesson Study and Learning Study. Four major distinctions between the two models are revealed: ways of identifying a topic for teaching, views and methods for understanding student learning, the focus of teacher collaboration on lesson design and implementation, and the overall instructional design. The paper concludes that the two models appeal to different practitioners depending on their aims and objectives in teaching and learning as well as their broader perspectives on education. In addition, this paper suggests that the two models could complement each other to improve the effectiveness of teaching and learning in different contexts.     

Teacher collaborative learning through the lesson study: identifying pathways for instructional success in a Singapore high school

Research shows teacher collaborative learning to be a powerful vehicle to mobilise teacher instructional change and pedagogical practices, and to improve student achievement. For such undertakings to have positive impact, understanding the visible features of collaborative structures may not be sufficient to ensure sustainable practice. Instead, there is a need to identify underlying pathways that provide for successful instructional improvement. The purpose of this qualitative study is to obtain deeper insights into teacher outcomes arising from this practice and to identify aspects of the lesson study structure and processes that afford such opportunities. Three subject groups consisting of ten teachers from a Singapore high school participated in this study. Implications on staff development programs will be discussed in the light of these findings.     

Lesson study for learning community (LSLC): conceptualising teachers’ practices within a social justice perspective

Under neo-liberal policies in many countries, there has been an extensive trend of educational reform which intensifies competition. Such educational reform is underpinned by direct government control, seen in centre to periphery forms of policy administration and implementation with strong emphasis on managerialism and test-oriented accountability models. There are critical views and opinions about such neo-liberal reforms, but a need still exists to discuss ways forward to protect the equality and right of teachers and student learners in schooling. This essay accordingly aims to discuss how the lesson study for learning community (LSLC) approach of school reform from Japan might signal a practical shift in emphasis away from competitive models of schooling fostered by school reform movements. The aim of this study is to discuss the philosophical underpinnings of LSLC, with particular emphasis on its social justice nature, particularly in reference to criticisms against neo-liberal reform agendas.     

School health and wellbeing and national education system reform: A qualitative study

The education systems of the four UK nations are diverging, and the education system in Wales is undergoing major reform with substantially increased emphasis on health and wellbeing. Understanding the implementation of major policy and system reforms requires an understanding of system histories and starting points. This study aimed to explore the perceived roles of schools in contemporary society, and how this role has evolved over time; the aims of the reforms, with a particular focus on health and wellbeing; and perceived barriers and facilitators for implementation. Interviews were held with senior stakeholders in the Welsh education system who held a strategic role in shaping the reforms. These included senior members of government and schools with a remit in either design of the curriculum or educationalists’ professional learning, Wales's school regulatory body, and those with a multidisciplinary remit in health and education. Interviews were subjected to thematic analysis, which produced a number of themes related to each objective, including ‘a changing society and increasing expectations on schools’, ‘the perceived role of schools in supporting health and wellbeing’, ‘the aims of the reform’, ‘what will success look like?’, ‘national level barriers and facilitators’ and ‘community and school level barriers and facilitators’. Findings suggest that education system reform requires change at multiple levels of the education system. Consideration of each level, and the interactions between them, is necessary for achieving change.     

Creating effective teaching and learning environments: Building a positive behavioural support (PBS) model for UK special schools

The importance of reducing restraint and restrictive interventions in special schools has been recognised across the four nations of the UK. Government guidance for England and Wales, and recommendations produced by Restraint Reduction Scotland, both reference Positive behavioural support (PBS) as an evidence-based approach that can be used to proactively support pupils with, or at risk of, behaviours that challenge. The Department of Education of Northern Ireland recommends the development of behaviour support plans to support children with special education needs and disabilities. Special schools, however, also have a responsibility to set high expectations for every pupil, to provide access to the respective national curricula and to meet individual needs. School-wide positive behavioural support (SW-PBS), originated in the USA in the 1990s in response to a body of evidence that showed improved social and academic outcomes when behavioural interventions were implemented across whole school settings. It is increasingly being adopted in the UK. Drawing upon examples from schools in England and Wales with which the authors are familiar, this paper outlines the rationale for a special schools' model of SW-PBS and illustrates the ways in which this can be adjusted to meet the specific needs of each setting.

Key Points

• Reducing restraint and restrictive interventions in schools is a high priority across all four nations of the UK.
• Special schools also have a responsibility to provide children with special education needs and disabilities positive learning environments that maximise learning opportunities and meet individual needs.
• School-wide positive behaviour support (SW-PBS) provides a useful framework to help special schools meet these expectations.

     

Project friends: A multi-age learning community

Project Friends is a learning community based on our confidence in the multi-age classroom as a valuable and viable vehicle for teaching young children. Our three multi-age classrooms of kinder-garten, first- and second-grade children were the served as the setting for Project Friends. In this article, we share our beginnings, significant features and outcomes of the learning community, and our reflections on a year ended in Project Friends. Our experiences and the experiences of the children in the multi-age classrooms continue to provide rich contexts for teaching and learning in the elementary school. Supported by school/university collaboration.     

Assessment for learning in the Hong Kong assessment reform: A case of policy borrowing

This paper describes Hong Kong’s borrowing, primarily from the UK, of the assessment for learning policy, in the context of prolonged use of formal summative public examinations. The narrative review and analysis are guided by a social positivist critique of the assessment for learning policy in the Hong Kong context. This paper concludes that Hong Kong’s attempts to implement assessment for learning are ambitious but somewhat futile because of persistent use of public examinations for important decision-making. Change in Hong Kong may only happen through a gradual implementation of assessment for learning practices that takes into account cultural, societal, and historic norms. Critical issues are identified and recommendations are proposed for further implementation of assessment for learning in Hong Kong.